Geoff Nichols Breaks Down the Roster and Draft - Exclusive to VikeFans

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fantastic show!

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Great stuff!

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Tom and Geoff as always great work and thanks for taking the time to share it.

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@"Geoff Nichols" said:

@prairieghost said:
Really enjoyed this breakdown, thanks to Geoff and Tom for putting this together. Geoff, you mentioned that the Vikings could possibly again draft a CB in the first round. Have you heard anything that gives you a better sense of how the team feels about extending Waynes? Are they truly all-in on him? Out of Barr or Waynes, which one do you think is more likely to get extended than the other, assuming the team can't get both deals done?

I think they both end up getting done. Wayne's 5th year option buys them some time too. But drafting a corner is for depth and the understanding most DB's aren't highly productive until years 2-3. Right now if anything happened to Xavier, Waynes, or Mac the team would have a massive issue. So taking a CB who can get some snaps immediately fixes that. Also, if you even have the thought in the back of your mind that you could potentially lose Waynes or Mac in the future you need to start developing a replacement now. They got saved by Newman when Munnerlyn left but they don't have the money to go DB shopping. 

Evaluating depth concerns is not a problem Vike fans are used to dealing with.  We always have been concerned with finding starters.  Its a different perspective with different problems.  For instance, you mention the loss of a starting CB and its affects but we would have ro weigh that against other losses. such as what would happen if we lost Thielen, Diggs or Rudolph?  
Geoff I think we would all benefit from your insights of risk assesment for each of the positions especially skill positions.

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Db should  be an area of concern for those very reasons----we've seen too many times the drop off when the subs com in because of injuries in this area

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@Akvike said:
Db should  be an area of concern for those very reasons----we've seen too many times the drop off when the subs com in because of injuries in this area

Fortunately this draft is deep with CB and S talent.  I see solid CBs available all the way through the first 3 rounds.  A rarity.  Also, in this classs, are a lot of big long guys.

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I think we are going to wait in the second round for an interior lineman.  I can see us taking Price/Williams in the second with a move up like we did for Cook and Elflein last year.

First round pick I see CB - Isiah Oliver - whom guru projected as our pick with his first mock a couple weeks ago.  Oliver is over 6'0 200lbs and has 33" arms.  I can see him lined-up across from Rhodes by midseason and Waynes maybe in the slot.

We have to decide on the fifth year option for Waynes (around 9 million) a couple weeks after the draft and I think we will and then try and renegotiate/extend at a cheaper rate then 9 mill per.  Oliver would be a good bargaining chip and we need a CB with the retirement of newman pending, I think.  

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@minny65 said:
I think we are going to wait in the second round for an interior lineman.  I can see us taking Price/Williams in the second with a move up like we did for Cook and Elflein last year.

First round pick I see CB - Isiah Oliver - whom guru projected as our pick with his first mock a couple weeks ago.  Oliver is over 6'0 200lbs and has 33" arms.  I can see him lined-up across from Rhodes by midseason and Waynes maybe in the slot.

We have to decide on the fifth year option for Waynes (around 9 million) a couple weeks after the draft and I think we will and then try and renegotiate/extend at a cheaper rate then 9 mill per.  Oliver would be a good bargaining chip and we need a CB with the retirement of newman pending, I think.  

Not surprised by going corner per above.  Like the returning ability of Hughes as well.  Now we might see a move up for a targeted interior OL.  Not sure how much ammo we have to move up if one starts to fall or if we are just in a wait and see who falls to our pick.  Spelly's history is he is not afraid to move up 5 or so spots to get someone like Cook or Elflein last draft.